Simulated baseball game



Dec. 7, 1954 v F ROTH SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1950 Dec. 7, 1954 v. F. ROTH 2,696,384

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United States Patent O SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME Veileda F. Roth, New liruns'wick, N. J.

Application August 5, 1950, Serial No. 177,903 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-88) This invention relates to an electric baseball game.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric baseball game whereby the players can effect the operation of the game by the simple turning of knobs of selective switches and wherein upon the operation of the circuits by the opponent the play which has been selected by the one player will be indicated upon the board by the different lights and wherein the various lights may have different colors to be indicative of certain kinds of plays.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an electric baseball game which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to set up for operation, requires no loose parts, self-contained upon a separate baseball board, requires only the attachment of the plug with a wall receptacle to supply current to a transformer contained in the board in order to set up the board for operation, compact, of pleasing appearance, portable and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective View of the electric baseball game board embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary and enlarged sectional view taken generally on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the game board showing diagrammatically the color arrangement of the indicating lamp bulbs.

Fig. 4 is an electrical Wiring diagram of the device.

Referring now to the figures, represents a top board having a plurality of openings and upwardly from which projects respectively lamp bulbs 11. Each lamp bulb is secured to a metal ring 12 to which may be connected a wire 13, Fig. 2. The lamp bulbs may have a terminal 14 engageable with a supporting terminal or contact 15 hav ing wire 16.

In one corner is a turn knob 17 adapted to operate a selector switch arm 18. The knob 17 is connected to a shaft 19 on which the arm 18 is mounted and on which there is a spring 21 which may return the arm to a neutral position elevated, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its contact 22 may lie above the stationary contact 23 carried on a plate 24.

A similar but larger selective switch arrangement 26 is provided at the diagonally opposite corner of the board having a knob 27. At 28 is a switch which 1s used to set into operation the selector switch 26. At 29 is a switch that is used by a player having his team in the field in order to indicate double plays and runner on base.

A cable cord 31 is connected by its plug 32 with a wall receptacle whereby current will be supplied to a transformer 33. From the secondary circuit of this transformer 33, current is supplied to the several lamp bulbs mounted in the board 13 and they will be turned on in accordance with settings of the selector switches.

On the selector switch 26 there are sixty contacts which may be engaged by the selector switch arm, not shown, but which is similar to the arm 18 of the other selector switch. In accordance with the legends, each of the respective lamp bulbs are connected to certain of the contacts.

The lamp bulbs are disposed at the base locations and at the positions of the infield players. There are other contacts indicating the outfield positions. These 2,696,384 Patented Dec. 7, 1954 "ice lamp bulbs which indicate the players in the field are blue whereas the lights which indicate the runners and the batter are white. The batter remains lighted at all times. When a batter reaches base, the bulb is screwed into the proper socket. Red lights denote strikes, foul o'ut, out when attempting to steal a base and a completed double play. Green lights denote hits, balls, foul strikes, safe when attempting to steal a base and safe at first when double play is not completed. Orange lights denote an error and is chargeable to the player making the previous play. If light shows an error before any play is made in an inning continuing onto the next play, no error is charged. If error is charged to pitcher or catcher, it is scored as a wild pitch or passed ball. If on the third strike, the batter goes to base. In all cases, the runners on base advance one base as a player reaches first base.

The diagram, as shown in Fig. 4, has contacts which will operate the respective lamp bulbs and are indicated by their numbers adjacent the particular lamp bulb. Wires from these bulbs lead to the indicated numbers of the selector switch 26. These contacts give the bulb indications as follows:

l-7-l0 l Base Hit Right Field 2-4-8-12-19-27-30-42-46-55-57-59 3-9-1 1 14-20-22-28-29-41-47 Strike 5-25-50-52 Out to Short Stop 6-49 Foul out 13-32-43 Out 2nd Baseman 15-24 Foul Strike 3rd Base Line 16-3 Base Hit 17-31 2 Base Hit 18 Out Catcher 2l Home Run 23 Out Pitcher 26-37 l Base Hit Center Field 33-53-56 Out Left Field 311-39-48 Foul Strike 35 Error 36-58 Out 3rd Base 38-60 Out lst Base 40-44-51 Out Right Field 45-54 l Base Hit Left Field When the batter lamp bulb is screwed down, the game may be started. The selector switch knob 27 of switch 26 is then pressed down by one player and turned, to a selected position at contact 44, for example. The opposing player will then throw the switch 28 to an on position. The white light of contact 44 will thereby be turned on to denote the play which has been made. If it is thus indicated that the ball goes to the right outfield, the player lamp which lights up is given the putout. If the hit is to the infield, the intielders are given an assist and the first baseman is given a put-out. If the ball is hit to first base, the first baseman is given the put-out unassisted. The circuit in this case runs from transformer 33 through switch 28 to center of switch 26 and to contact 44 and the right field lamp near switch 28 in Figure 4, then through the long horizontal conductor beneath the catcher, pitcher and home run positions. Thence, the circuit runs down to first base position connected to contacts 38 and 60 of switch 26, through the switch 28, again and the transformer to switch 29 and over top conductor to switch 17, whence the second conductor from the top serves as return to switch 29 and thence down through the second conductor from the left to the transformer again. Both opponents are thus represented, not so much by two different circuits, but by their contributions to the general circuit which is in operation and the manner in which it exhibits first the result of the switch movement of one player, and then the result of the next move on the part of the other.

When a runner is on first base or with runners on first base and second base, or with the bases loaded, the ball is hit to the infield, the knob 17 is adjusted. The play will be indicated. If a red light is shown, the playfis completed. If a green light is shown, the runner 1s sa e.

If a runner is on second base, for example, and the ball is hit to either the first or second baseman, the

Ball

1st Base Line runner advances to third base if the runner is put out. Whenever more than one base is taken by the runners on an ordinary base hit, the knob 17 is turned to see if it is indicated that the runner gets an extra base or is out. By turning the knob 17 and by light indications 35, 36 and 37, it can thus be determined whether there has been a double play, whether a runner caught oir base or whether a double play has failed.

The players will work the knobs alternately in the carrying on of the game and the team at bat will use the knob 27 while the team in the ield will use the knob 17.

It will be seen that the lights on the board will actually be turned on by switch operation and the indication given as to the nature of each play during the course of the game. With a flash of light on the board, the players can determine the next move. All of the possibilities of an ordinary baseball game will be exhibited in the playing of this game.

It will be seen that the selector switches can be first turned to position desired and then pressed to make the eective contact. This makes for a simple manner in which to carry on the game. When the button or knob is pressed, the contact is made and the light will give the indication. With the use of these knobs, the game can be played. At all times there is an indication on the board as to the location of the player who may be running the bases. These lights are turned on by screwing down the bulb at the base on which the runner is located. The other lights which are blue will indicate the players in the iield. Red and green lights will be operated by the selector switch 26.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a baseball game including a game board having openings therein and current supply means, the combination of a selector switch mounted beneath the game board and having a plurality of stationary contacts connected individually to said openings, a central socket spaced a short distance beneath the game board having a bearing at the bottom thereof, lamp sockets at said openings receiving the connection from said contacts and having lamps therein, a switch shaft extending down into said socket and the bearing therein for said selector switch, a manual knob on the shaft, a plate supported beneath said game board carrying said socket and having the contacts mounted thereon about said shaft, a

p contact arm upon said shaft beneath said game board engageable with said contacts, spring means disposed in said socket about the shaft normally elevating said arm oif said contacts so that upon depressing the knob and shaft and thereby said arm, this arm is brought down under cover of said game board upon any one of said contacts adjacent thereto, wherein a second selector switch is included with a similar shaft and manual knob and contact arm, together with a plurality of contacts connected to a selected group of the lamp sockets having their positions indicating double play, runner on" base and a double play uncornpleted, the contacts of the first mentioned selector switch being connected to solely the other lamp sockets, and the second switch shaft having a further spring normally holding the arm thereof olf the respectively adjacent contacts so that depression of the second knob and shaft will bring the second arm into contact with one of the last mentioned contacts at will, and conductor means interconnecting the two selector switches.

2. In a baseball game including a game board having openings therein and current supply means, the combination of a selector switch mounted beneath the game board and having a plurality of stationary contacts connected individually to said openings, a central socket spaced a short distance beneath the game board having a bearing at the bottom thereof, lamp sockets at said openings receiving the connection from said contacts and having lamps therein, a switch shaft extending down into said socket and the bearing therein for said selector switch, a manual knob on the shaft, a plate supported beneath said game board carrying said socket and having the contacts mounted thereon about said shaft, a contact arm upon said shaft beneath said game board engageable with said contacts, spring means disposed in said socket about the shaft normally elevating said arm off said contacts so that upon depressing the knob and shaft and thereby said arm, this arm is brought down under cover of said game board upon any one of said contacts adjacent thereto, wherein a selected group of the lamps are of different colors and indicate runners on bases and being illuminated or extinguished exclusively by turning said lamps in their sockets, others of the lamps indicating player positions.

3. A game according to claim 1, wherein a limited group of the lamps are of different colors and are illuminated and extinguished in succession by turning these lamps in their sockets to indicate runners on the bases as they advance from one base to another, other lamps upon said game board being operated by the iirst mentioned selector switch and disposed in effective positions to indicate the players on theeld.

ReferencesCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,046,544 Beatty Dec. 10, 1912 1,085,433 Kepler Jan. 27, 1914 1,151,390 Prina Aug. 24, 1915 1,323,716 Nelson Dec. 2, 1919 1,624,391 Clausen Apr. 12, 1927 1,888,537 Mayorga Nov. 22, 1932 1,943,685 Mayorga Ian. 16, 1934 2,118,359 Quinn May 24, 1938 2,229,389 Quinn Ian. 21, 1941 

